Payback
by thinktink2
Summary: Just a little Nick/Adalind fluff to help get us through the long hiatus that wouldn't leave me alone as I was working on my sequel to Coming to Terms. Takes place shortly after that story ends. One-shot.


AN: Just a one-shot piece of fluff that wouldn't leave me be while I was working on the sequel to "Coming to Terms." Would probably make more sense if you read that first. Every time I see the Nick Burkhardt character on TV in worn denim and work boots and a button up shirt, I swoon, and therefore, so does Adalind in all my fics. I'm sure you can understand.

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She watched him discuss what was most likely a case with Sean and Hank. Arms crossed over his chest, navy blue button down with a satin navy stripe. Blue jeans, scuffed and worn work boots, badge on his left hip, and gun holstered on his right. His eyes were dark and intent on what Sean was saying and he hadn't yet noticed her. She supposed she was somewhat obscured from view with the walls and blinds of Seans' office between them. She was sitting at his desk, spinning back and forth in his chair, taking the moment to admire the view that was one Nicholas Burkhardt, homicide detective, Portland P.D.

He was fucking hot, and Adalind took a sip of her coffee and savored that revelation.

More blue-collar, practical, and normal (she smirked) than the guys that she would normally notice, but he was really especially handsome with a thick head of dark hair and five o'clock stubble. He was smart, freakishly strong, and guided by a moral and ethical force that matched no other, which made him a unique example in their world. He was an excellent cop, Adalind knew; had heard from some of her lawyer friends and colleagues in the D.A.s office that he had an excellent solve rate. And he was a Grimm who had befriended many Wesen and had fathered a baby with a hexenbiest who had tried to ruin his life more times than they should probably count. Yet he had supported that baby, and its undeserving mother, had took them in to his protection, his home and his life, and now they were in a relationship together, both parents to a baby boy getting ready to celebrate his first birthday in a matter of days.

He nodded to something Hank said, looking down at the ground for a moment and when he looked up he caught sight of her. His eyes narrowed in surprise and she raised her paper coffee cup in salute, as he responded to Sean, finally taking his eyes away from her when Hank said something else. His eyes kept returning to her, though, flicking briefly in her direction as he alternately listened and talked with his captain and partner.

She smiled to herself when she thought of the attention he bestowed on her last night. Some very thorough, hot, demanding, and incredible attention, that had her toes curling at the memory. She grinned wickedly when they locked eyes through the blinds and she saw him swallow and pull his eyes away. He didn't look at her again for the rest of his discussion and Adalind smiled again.

Who knew being so up close and personal with a Grimm could be so…electrifying. She looked up when she realized he was striding towards her, his meeting broken up and she took another sip of her coffee while she admired his slender legs clad in dark denim and confident stride. She grinned again mischievously when she saw him give her a warning look, recognizing the expression on her face.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" he said, tossing a file folder behind her on the desk. She leaned back in his chair to look at him as he leaned over and scanned around the department, perhaps looking for his son. She usually brought him on her trips to the department; he was usually the reason _for_ her trips to Nick's work but he was at the spice shop with Rosalee and today she had felt the urge to see Nick, and so she had given into it and stopped by without really thinking about it.

"Kelly's with Rosalee," she said, answering his unspoken question.

"Everything okay?" he asked looking at her with some concern. He smelled really good, too, she breathed, and she inhaled deeply, eliciting a narrowing of Nick's eyes and his straightening up, the chair bobbing as he used it as leverage to right himself.

What, was he so concerned she might take advantage of him in the police department? Well, given the images she had flashing through her mind right now, maybe it was wise he did back away. She winked and he stuck his hands in his back pockets, and schooled his features into his cop face: neutral, observant, and distant. It was like a lighter version of his Grimm face, and she allowed herself a moment to reflect on both before she responded.

"Everything's fine. I was just running some errands and passing by the station and thought I would stop in and say hello."

"Hello," he said, glancing around before looking at her again.

"Hi," she replied coyly and Nick's lips twitched. He leaned down close again and her heart shot in her throat, pulse pounding, the brush of his stubble against her cheek as he whispered, "Will you stop looking at me like that?" into her ear before grabbing the chair at the desk opposite his and rolling it around and taking a seat to the side of his desk, knees almost touching hers.

"Like what?" she asked innocently and he gave her a look. He glanced up when Hank appeared on her other side, uttering a polite hello to Adalind.

"Everything okay?" he asked looking to Nick and Nick shrugged and nodded.

"I was just in the neighborhood getting some things for Kelly's party and thought I'd stop by and say hello," Adalind explained to Hank over her shoulder scooching down in her seat a little to allow her to brush her knee against Nick's and she heard him shift in the chair and move away. She bit down the smile that threatened to surface and focused on Hank, deciding to give torturing Nick a break for a moment as she swiveled in the desk chair to face Hank.

"Ah, yeah, his first birthday right?" Hank said. "Party's this Saturday?"

"Yeah," she replied. "You're coming?"

"I know I'm invited, right? Unless my invitation was lost in the mail," Hank teased.

"We didn't do invitations," Nick said.

"Actually," Adalind interrupted, "I have your invitation right here," she said searching through her bag.

Hank raised his eyebrows in surprise and Nick interjected, "I thought you said we weren't doing invitations."

"I did," she said. "Rosalee and I changed our minds." Nick rolled his eyes. "We found these at the party supply store—look at them, aren't they sooo cute!" She handed one to Nick, and then found the one addressed to Hank and handed him his.

"Ah, here's Wu's," she said, pulling his out and Nick pulled his attention away from the invite he was perusing to hesitantly accept the invitation she was holding out to him. "Maybe you should be the one to give it to him," she said. He frowned and tossed it on his desk with a nod.

"Thanks," Hank said after he had read his. "I'll be there." She smiled in response and took another drink of her coffee, looking between the two men.

"Big case?" she asked.

"Robbery/homicide," Nick said with a polite smile and Hank nodded.

"I'll check with the M.E. and see if she's got the autopsy results," Hank said, "catch you later," he said to Adalind as he headed out the door. She gave a nod of acknowledgement and watched him leave before swiveling her chair back around to face Nick. She grinned evilly, especially when she saw his brow furrow, and his lips twist when he gave her another warning look. She slid her foot out and ran it along the back of his calf and he leaned forward suddenly, scooting the chair around and banging one of the arms against the metal of his desk. The sound reverberated louder than Adalind would have expected it to, and she jumped slightly, eyes darting around.

"Behave," he hissed, subtly looking around the precinct. While teasing him at work was an ungodly amount of fun, she didn't want to embarrass him at work, not to mention she wasn't sure how many people who Nick worked with were aware of the exact status of their relationship. She supposed they all knew, or the majority did, that they had a kid together, although maybe they didn't even know that. Or maybe they just naturally assumed two people who had a kid together were a couple, not two people who had been mortal enemies that had a one night stand the other wasn't really aware about until after the fact. Either way, she got the impression Nick didn't really talk about his relationship with her with his cop buddies, and although she thought Hank, and Sean and Wu might suspect they were more than co-parents, she and Nick had yet to make some type of formal announcement that they were a couple.

"Sorry," she said contritely and he stared into her eyes for a moment too long, his expression softening before nodding. Adalind felt her stomach flip at his look and thought it might be time to give him back his desk and leave him be before she compromised him all over said desk.

"I should be going," she announced, standing up and grabbing her things, and Nick stood as well.

"I'll walk you out," he said, and she almost refused, sorry that she had disrupted his work, but she felt his hand on the small of her back guiding her and she flashed back to the night earlier and his gentle and passionate touches.

He was hard to give up, like a drug; once you had him in your system you kept wanting more of him.

"I didn't mean to interrupt your work," she said in apology as they strode to the elevator. He pushed the down button and nodded, arm still slightly around her.

"What errands do you still have left to run?" he asked.

"Let's see: the bakery, the grocery, I need to go to the post office—" she cut off when the elevator arrived and the doors opened. She stepped on and turned and opened her mouth to say goodbye and then snapped it shut when Nick followed her on. She raised her eyebrows in surprise and then continued. "I need to stop at the dry cleaners and pick up some things," she said, thinking of Nick's shirts she had dropped off a few days ago, "the bank, and…oh, that daycare I was telling you about," she added, and Nick twisted his lips in annoyance, watching the lights illuminate each floor as it went down. She was about to pursue that look when they reached the main floor. She turned slightly after she stepped into the main corridor when she realized Nick was still following her and she gave him a look of confusion.

"Are you going to follow me all the way to my car?" she asked.

"Yup," he said.

"Why?"

"Just want to make sure I see you off safely," he replied.

"I'll be okay."

"Can't be too careful," he said. She gave him another look and began to wonder what he was really up to. Was he really annoyed by her visit, and wanted to make sure she was well and gone? She felt a little hurt by his behavior, but in a way she understood the reason behind it. Work was his space, and she didn't normally intrude upon it without good reason.

"Look, Nick," she tried again and then stumbled a little when Nick grabbed both her hands and dragged her around a corner of the building and into an alcove. He wrapped his arms around her, trapping her hands behind her, and pressed her against the stone as he leaned in and kissed her deeply, trailing a kiss on the crook of her neck and her collar bone, before pulling away but not releasing her.

"That what you were after?" he asked, a little breathless and she smiled guiltily.

"Maybe," she replied, tugging at her hands, but he still held them tight behind her. He tilted his head slightly, listening at the activity around them and looking at her intently. She wished he would at least let one arm go so she could trail her hand along his face, feel the scratch of his stubble against her palm, like she had last night as he placed a few gentle kisses against her hand. It had been more…slow…intense…more like love-making she guessed, than what they normally experienced together, which was surprisingly enthusiastic and affectionate sex. Sex finally allowed them the release they subconsciously railed against, a sexual and emotional bond between a Grimm/Hexenbiest or mortal enemies or just the long-simmering hatred between Nick and Adalind that had nowhere else to go now that they were on much more cordial terms. It was always incredibly passionate and physical, and there was deep-rooted affection for sure, their complicated history not needing the words that always eluded them to explain their feelings for one another when she was writhing underneath Nick and moaning his name or vice versa. She was the mother of his son, and sometimes when they were together she felt his emotional attachment and response to that, the same she did when she thought of him as the father of their baby, and the man who had taken them both in and cared for them since the day Kelly was born and not looked back.

It was too little to say it was gratitude, and perhaps too much to say it was true love but it was something that was uniquely theirs, and neither had shied away from that aspect of their relationship. At least when they were alone.

Nick looked around again, and pushed her back further into the shadow of the alcove, and Adalind followed his movements with her eyes. He pressed against her again, and finally released her hands in order to free his to cup the back of her head, holding her steady against his mouth. Adalind opened her mouth slightly and felt Nick slide his tongue in deepening the kiss. She gripped his elbows, suddenly a bit unsteady with the intensity and then slid her fingers up his arms and through his hair. Nick regained himself a bit, and grabbed her hands again, breaking away from her mouth to trail his warm, wet mouth against her neck, and she closed her eyes and moaned. He moved lower, releasing her hands, and trailing his down to grip her hips and pull her against him. He moved his mouth over her collarbone, and then lower, taking advantage of her v-neck top to taste the cleavage exposed there.

He pulled back suddenly and Adalind came to awareness, body stiffening, from desire, embarrassment, or confusion she wasn't sure—maybe all three, and she touched her fingers to her lips where they felt raw and abused from his mid-afternoon beard. Nick rubbed a hand over his mouth, breathing heavily and then a hand through his hair, smoothing most of it back down from where her hands had made it stick out in all directions. He took a few steps back, looking around him, smiling when his efforts to put distance between them took him back in the eye line of some of his fellow cops.

"Okay," he said, looking at her, and pursing his lips. "I guess I'll see you tonight. Bye," he added and started to walk away.

"Nick!" she called and he turned, standing a couple dozen yards away. "What was that?" she expelled, still reeling from what had just happened, her body not yet able to process the loss of his touch.

He smirked and she narrowed her eyes.

"Payback." He turned and began walking back into the precinct. "Glad you stopped by!" he called over his shoulder.

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Feedback is never unappreciated.


End file.
